


Face the Day

by bakedgoldfish



Category: The West Wing
Genre: Episode Tag, Episode: s02e22 Two Cathedrals, Friendship, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2003-08-21
Updated: 2003-08-21
Packaged: 2019-05-15 04:59:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,228
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14784003
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bakedgoldfish/pseuds/bakedgoldfish
Summary: It's late at night.  They had a small talk.





	Face the Day

**Author's Note:**

> A copy of this work was once archived at National Library, a part of the [ West Wing Fanfiction Central](https://fanlore.org/wiki/West_Wing_Fanfiction_Central), a West Wing fanfiction archive. More information about the Open Doors approved archive move can be found in the [announcement post](http://archiveofourown.org/admin_posts/8325).

**Face the Day**

**by:** Baked Goldfish

**Character(s):** Leo, Jed  
**Category(s):** Post-ep  
**Rating:** CHILD  
**Disclaimer:** They aren't mine. Please don't sue me. All you'll get is some dry ramen noodles. "Straight Lines" is a song by Wood, from the album "Songs From Stamford Hill". I don't own them either.  
**Summary:** It's late at night. They had a small talk.  
**Spoiler:** Two Cathedrals (well, it *is* a post-ep... *g*)  
**Archive:** If you want it. 

Well I tried so hard but it was not enough,  
I guessed wrong and I messed up  
But I think I still believe.

-"Straight Lines," by Wood.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Is he in?"

Abbey looked up from the papers in her lap. Leo stood pensively in the doorway of the room, suit jacket gone, face lined heavier than usual.

It was late. There was a still darkness outside, the kind that only affects the city in the latest of hours, even on nights like these. Nights like these, when an electricity thrills the air, makes the hair on the back of a man's neck stand on end.

There was a still darkness outside. And inside.

"He's in."

Her reply was his permission to enter. Giving her a tiny smile, he made his way to the bedroom, fists clenching and unclenching rhythmically, absently. It was a nervous habit he'd broken long ago and unknowingly picked up again.

Bartlet lay on the bed, sheets thrown to the side, as if he'd been sleeping prior and had woken up suddenly. One forearm rested across his brow as the other arm lay limp on the bed by his side. Leo could see that his eyes were on the ceiling, but that his gaze was turned inward. He looked away momentarily, not wanting to disturb Bartlet's internal monologue.

"Leo."

His head snapped up, and wide eyes regarded his President. He felt rather than saw Bartlet's gaze shift from the ceiling to him, and he heard the silent bid to be seated. He pulled at the knees of his trousers as he sat, something he was wont to do. Another habit. His eyes never left his chief executive.

"Sir."

Wearily, Bartlet sat up, the hand that had been resting on his forehead moving to his eyes; the other arm propped him up, elbow locked in support. His hair was dry now, but still rakish and curling down into his face. He swept it away and inhaled, looking at the floor momentarily.

"Do you think I made the right decision?"

McGarry inhaled sharply and slouched back into his chair. His right, closed fist found its usual perch on his chin as his brows knitted together and his eyes focused on some point that didn't really exist. He let the breath out softly and the fingers of his left hand absently tapped the armrest. He let his hand drop away from his face and turned his eyes to Bartlet, his expression masked.

"Yes sir, I do."

A smile crept onto Bartlet's lips for a short second before disappearing. A laugh might have rumbled out of him, had it not been snared in his stomach before it could reach his throat.

"Is that 'White House Chief of Staff McGarry' speaking, or is it 'Jed's friend Leo' speaking?"

"Which do you want?"

"Both."

"As White House Chief of Staff McGarry, I say, yes sir it was the right decision."

His eyes were guarded, hazel walls closing off access to his thoughts. His posture was much the same; casual and relaxed to anyone else, tense to Bartlet. Regarding him cautiously, Bartlet swung his legs over the side of the bed and rested his elbows on his knees. Once again, the floor held his silver-blue gaze momentarily before he turned his eyes to Leo.

"And?"

McGarry turned his head away, sat up, rolled his shoulders back, slouched back into his chair again. He listened to his mind's voice play out his reply, rewording it every time until it was satisfactory. Turning back to Bartlet, he let the shields drop from his eyes.

"It's gonna be tough. A hell of a lot tougher than last time."

He held his breath, knowing McGarry enough to know that more was coming. A moment passed, and he swallowed nervously. Another moment; he let out his breath and let his brows pull together almost imperceptibly.

"But you've come too far to give up now, without a fight. We're brothers in arms, Jed. We're in this together, all of us."

His shoulders relaxed, his head dropped again and his eyes closed. His fingers laced together, and he straightened with a sharp inhalation, his body jerking up as if on marionette strings. His hands released each other and went behind him, both elbows locked, and he leaned back against the support. His eyes hit the ceiling again, and he searched the pale surface for unseen answers.

"I talked to her tonight," he stated at long last.

Leo regarded him curiously. "Abbey?"

"Delores."

He tried to keep the worry out of his face and posture. He could not keep it out of his eyes as he looked upon Bartlet.

"I'm not going mad," he explained with a short laugh, his eyes never leaving the ceiling. "I know it wasn't her, or, or some ghost." His head dropped again, and turned slightly to half-face McGarry. "But I talked to her. It's what changed my mind, you know."

Leo nodded, and the worry began to seep away slowly. He relaxed into the cushions of his chair.

"It's gonna be tough, you say."

"Yeah."

"We losing any of the senior staff?"

"No."

He nodded. "Okay. They know they can leave, right?"

"They know. They're not jumping ship."

Bartlet chuckled softly, sadly. "Brothers in arms."

"Brothers in arms." He sighed and stood up with a small grunt of effort. "I should go. I think Abbey's waiting for me to leave, so she can go to bed."

"Leo."

"Yes sir?"

Words rushed through his mind as he regarded his longtime best friend. Words that rang hollow, like, 'We will get through this,' and, 'It will be okay.' He shook his head to clear those thoughts.

"Sleep well, Leo."

McGarry nodded and wished him the same. He walked into the outer room, touched Abbey's shoulder lightly.

She looked up at him, unaware of his presence until that point, and took his hand in hers before gathering her things and walking into her bedroom.

Leo McGarry watched the door close behind her and stood there for a moment. Finally, he looked away, and left the residence. The stairs down to his office were dark, and steep. He walked down them, disregarding the possible danger of falling into the abyss, and stepped into his equally dark office.

He gathered his things: briefcase, jacket, glasses, coat. The garage was quiet, eerily echoing his footfalls as he made his way to his car. The ignition turned smoothly, and he glanced around for anyone or anything that might pass into his way. There was nothing, so he went up to the gate. The sun was starting to peek up over the stubbled horizon. In a few hours, he'd be back in his office, and there would be some new crisis that would need his attention. But, right now, he needed a shower, and maybe a nap. Something to help him face the new day.

He drove home.

-end- 


End file.
